Car-platform closure.



I. H. SAUNDERS. GAR PLATFORM CLOSURE.

. APPLIGATION FILED NOV. 4,1909. 96 1,024. Patented June 7, 1910.

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I. H. SAUNDERS.

GAR'PLATFORM CLOSURE.

v 7 APPLICATION FILED NOV. 4, 1909.

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fifl 7 u I. H. SAUNDERS. GAR PLATFORM CLOSURE. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 4, 1909.

Patented June 7, 1910.

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[NVENTOR Mimi nay ISAAC H. SAUNDERS, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA.

CAR-PLATFORM CLOSURE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed November 4, 1909.

Patented June 7, 1910.

Serial No. 526,293.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ISAAC H. SAUNDERS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Washington, in the District of Columbia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oar-Platform Closures, of which the following is a description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention relates to platform closures for vestibule railway cars being an improvement upon the car platform closure described and claimed in U. S. Patent No. 679,080 issued July 23, 1901, to W. M. King, Sr.

The patent above referred to discloses a construction in which the platform exten' sion or guard which covers the car steps when the vestibule doors are closed, is arranged to be slidable beneath the main portion of the platform and is so connected with the door that it will be moved into and out of position over the car steps by the closing or opening of the door.

It is the object of my invention to provide. an improved connection between the platform extension or guard and door by which the movement of the platform extension or guard may be effected easily, and it is a further object of my invention to provide a construction by which the door may be opened either with or without sliding the platform extension or guard back from over the steps, thusadapting the device to be used to permit exit onto a sliding platform either below or on a level with the car platform.

With these and other objects hereinafter explained, in view my invention consists in the construction and combination of elements hereinafter described.

Referring to the drawings: Figure 1 is a perspective view of my improved device as applied to a car platform. Fig. 2 is a plan v1ew of the device with the vestibule door closed. Fig. 3 is a vertical section on line aa of Fig 2. Fig. at is a vertical section on an enlarged scale taken on the line bb of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a similar view on line 0-0 of Fig. 2 with parts broken away to show the locking mechanism for the lower portion of the vestibule door.

1 is the body of the car, 2 is the platform and 3 are the steps all of these. parts being of usual construction, a space 4 being left between the upper edge of the riser of the upper step and the under surface of the platform 2. The space 4 extends beneath the platform sufiiciently to receive the guard or platform extension 5 when it is slid back from over the steps 3 as hereinafter described.

6 is the vestibule door hinged at 7 to the end of the car body and adapted to swing over the platform extension or guard 5. Below the level of the platform extension or guard 5 is an operating member 6 hinged to the end of the car body with its hinge in line with the hinge of the door 6. The door and the operating member are arranged to be detachably connected together so that the door may be opened and closed independently of the operating member. The door when disconnected from the operating member may be swung over the platform extension or guard without moving it and when opened permits passengers to step from the platform extension or guard onto the station platform 8 on the same level.

The operating member 6 is provided near its free edge with a pivoted arm 9 having at its free end a pin 10 carrying a roller 11 which is adapted to travel in a guide 12 which is secured to the under side of the guard or extension 5 near its outer end. This guide 12 extends across the guard or platform extension 5 preferably at a slight angle to its outer end and may be conveniently formed of a strip of metal bent into U-shape the arms of the U extending downward to form a guide-way or track in which the roller 11 may travel freely.

Secured to the pivoted arm 9 and rigid with it is a guide arm 13 which extends beneath the guard or platform extension 5. This guide arm is provided with a slot 14. near its free end and through the slot 14 extends a headed pin 15 secured in the under side of the guard or platform extension 5 preferably at a point midway between its sides and near its inner edge.

As the door 6 is swung open the roller 11 traveling in the guide 12 moves the guard or platform extension inward, the guide arm 13 sliding on the pin 15. At the beginning of the opening of the door the pivoted arm 9 moves inward on a line directed toward the pin 15 on the center line of the guard or platform extension and throughout the opening movement the pivoted arm continues to move toward the same point though by reason of the swing of the door the angle of the pivoted arm to the door is constantly changing. In the same way in closing the door 6 the pivoted arm 9 will always be moving on a line which passes through the pin 15. By reason of thus always moving 011 a line passing through the pin 15 the movement of the guard or platform extension is even and there is no liability to catch or stick at any point as is sometimes the case when the guide arm 13 is not used.

For the purpose of detachably connecting the door (5 with the operating member 6 so as to permit the door to be opened either with or without swinging the operating member 6, the operating member (3 is provided with a bolt 16 adapted to enter a socket 17 011 the car body. This bolt is moved into and out of locking position by a bell crank lever 18 pivoted in a suitable casing 19 secured in the free end of the operating memher 6. A spring 20 is arranged to act upon the bell crank lever 18 to press its upper arm upward and its lower arm outward to hold the bolt 16 normally in looking position.

In the upper end of the casing 19, which is preferably flush with the upper edge of the operating member 6, is an opening 21 in line with the end of the upper arm of the bell crank lever 18. A rod 22 carried by the door 6 and free to slide vertically therein is adapted to pass through the opening 21 into contact with the upper arm of the bell crank lever 18. Near its upper end the rod 22 is connected with a lever 23 pivoted at 24:. On the inner end of the pivot 24: is secured an operating handle 25.

If the door 6 is to be opened without pushing the platform extension or guard 5 back, as for instance when it is desired to permit passengers to enter the car from or leave it onto a platform 8 which is on the level of the car platform, the operating handle 25 is turned so as to move the free end of the lever 23 upward thus withdrawing the lower end of the rod 22 from looking engagement with the opening 21 of the casing 19. The upper portion may then be swung inward over the platform extension or guard 5.

If it is desired to make use of the car steps to permit passengers to enter the car from or leave it onto a platform below the level of the car platform, the handle 25 is turned so as to depress the free end of the lever 23 thus forcing the rod 22 downward through the opening 21 against the upper arm of the bell crank lever 18 against the force of the spring 20 to cause the bell crank lever to withdraw the bolt 16 from engagement with the socket 17. This unlocks the operating member and leaves it free to be swung on its hinge and at the same time, by reason of the engagement of the lower end of rod 22 with the opening 21 of the casing, locks the door and the operating member together. As the door is then swung open it will cause the operating member 6, through the pivoted arm 9 and guide arm 13, to move the platform extension or guard 5 back from over the steps into the space 1.

The guard or platform extension 5 moves into and out of position over the car steps on ways 26 secured to the frame work of the car on opposite sides of the steps. In order to facilitate its movement friction rollers 27, 28 are provided. These friction rollers, in the construction shown in Figs. 1 to 5 inclusive, are carried by brackets 29 secured to the guard or platform extension 5, the rollers 27 bearing downward, on the upper surface of the ways 26 and the rollers 28 bearing against the sides of the ways.

It will of course be understood that the vertical width of the operating member 6 is such that it will swing over the upper step when it is swung with the door to move the platform extension.

I do not desire to be limited to the precise construction shown and described, it being understood that many changes in details of construction may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. The combination of a swinging door, a slidingly mounted guard or platform extension provided with a guide way extending transversely thereof, an arm pivoted to the swinging door and provided with means for engaging the guide way, and a guide arm carried by the pivoted arm having its free end slidably secured to the guard or platform extension.

2. The combination of a swinging door, a slidingly mounted guard or platform extension provided with a guide way extending transversely thereof, an arm pivoted to the swinging door and provided with means for engaging the guide way, and a guide arm carried by the pivoted arm having its free end secured to the guard or platform extension by a pin and slot connection.

3. The combination of a swinging door, a slidingly mounted guard or platform extension provided with a guide way extending transversely thereof, an arm pivoted to the swinging door and provided with means for engaging the guide way, and a guide arm carried by the pivoted arm having its free end slidably connected with the guard or platform extension on its median line.

4. The combination of a swinging door, a slidably mounted guard or platform extension provided with a guide way extending transversely thereof, an arm pivoted to the swinging door and provided with means for engaging the guide way, and a guide arm carried by the pivoted arm having its free end connected by av pin and slot comiection with the guard or platform extension on its median line.

5. The combination with a car platform,

of a platform extension adapted to be movable into and out of position over the car steps, a hinged door adapted to swing over the platform extension, a hinged operating member below the level of the platform extension having its hinge in line with the hinge of the door and provided with means for moving the platform extension, and means for connecting and disconnecting the door and operating member.

6. The combination with a car platform, of a platform extension adapted to be movable into and out of position over the car steps, a hinged door adapted to swing over the platform extension, a hinged operating member below the level of the platform ex tension having its hinge in line with the hinge of the door and provided with means for moving the platform extension, means for holding the operating member normally locked against operation, and means carried by the door for unlocking the operating member.

7. The combination with a car platform, of a platform extension adapted to be movable into and out of position over the car steps, a hinged door adapted to swing over the platform extension, a hinged operating member below the level of the platform extension having its hinge in line with the hinge of the door and provided with means for moving the platform extension, means for holding the operating member normally locked against operation, and means carried by the door for unlocking the operating member and connecting it with the door.

8. The combination with a car platform, of a platform extension adapted to be movable into and out of position over the car steps, a hinged door adapted to swing over the platform extension, a hinged operating member below the level of the platform extension having its hinge in line with the hinge of the door and provided with means for moving the platform extension, a spring lock carried by the operating member and means carried by the door for releasing the spring lock.

9. The combination with a car platform, of a platform extension adapted to be movable into and out of position over the car steps, a hinged door adapted to swing over the platform extension, a hinged operating member below the level of the platform extension having its hinge in line with the hinge of the door and provided with means for moving the platform extension, a looking bolt carried by the operating member, a bell crank lever for operating the locking bolt, a spring normally holding the locking bolt in looking position, and means carried by the door for operating the bell crank lever to withdraw the locking bolt from looking position.

10. The combination with a car platform, of a platform extension adapted to be movable into and out of position over the car steps, a hinged door adapted to swing over the platform extension, a hinged operating member below the level of the platform extension having its hinge in line with the hinge of the door and provided with means for moving the platform extension, a locking bolt carried by the operating member, a casing for the locking bolt having an opening in its top, a rod carried by the door vertically movable into and out of engagement with the opening in the bolt casing, means for moving the rod and means within the bolt casing adapted to be operated by the rod to withdraw the bolt.

This specification signed and witnessed this 2d day of November A. D. 1909.

I. H. SAUNDERS.

In the presence of- CHAs. E. RIORDON, A. P. GREELEY. 

